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| LAMINE
GUEYE (1891 - 1968) |
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Lamine Gueye was born in the
French Sudan (Mali)
in a Senegalese family originating from Saint-Louis
; he studied law in France during WWI, thus
becoming the first black lawyer in French
Africa.
Back in Senegal in 1922, he militated in favour
of Blaise Diagne
; he was the mayor of Dakar
in 1925 and 1926. In 1928 he stood for the
legislative elections, was defeated by Blaise
Diagne then left Senegal to hold a post
as a magistrate in the Reunion island in 1931.
After Blaise Diagne's
death in 1934, Lamine Gueye stood again for
the legislative elections but was defeated
by Galandou Diouf.
In 1935 he reorganized the Socialist Party
in the hope of attracting the young Senegalese
elite (the PS was at a time the first modern
political party in French-speaking Africa).In
1940 France was defeated : it put an end to
the political life in Senegal. In 1946, the
S.F.I.O. (French section of the Workers' International)
supported both Lamine Gueye and his friend
Léopold
Sedar Senghor, thus enabling them to achieve
a majority and represent the urban communities.
Lamine Gueye was elected mayor of Dakar
in the course of the same year.
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In 1948 Lamine Gueye and Léopold
Sedar Senghor broke off.
In 1958 the PS and the BPS (Bloc Populaire
Sénégalais) merged and formed
the UPS (Union Progressiste Sénégalaise).
Lamine Gueye and Léopold
Sedar Senghor then united to reinforce
their opposition to the other African leaders
who favoured autonomy for each of the territories
in Africa rather than a federative structure.
Lamine Gueye maintained an intensive political
activity within the ruling party and became
President of the National
Assembly ; he was in office until he died
in 1968. |
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